As he spoke Roy took one of the gold-pieces from the bag and showed it to the man.
“It is very old,” the latter said as he examined the coin intently. “Have you just come from Mexico?”
“No, indeed, we were wrecked on one of the keys, we don’t know where, and this was the first port we made.”
Ned believed the man was giving more attention to the gold-piece than would have been natural had his curiosity been excited simply because it was very old.
He turned it over and over, glanced furtively around the yacht as if expecting to see something which might be connected with the money, and then said:
“This looks as if it had been under water some time.”
“I don’t see why,” Roy said quickly. “If exposed for any length of time to the action of salt water gold will turn very dark, whereas this is as bright as could be expected if it had been in circulation many years.”
“And yet it has not been used for a very long while—perhaps a hundred years.”
“How do you make that out?” Vance asked quickly.
“Because of its age. I should think a collector of old coins would like to purchase such pieces of money.”